Art of Juan Espino exhibited at State Capitol

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By By Peter Becker

News Eagle - Hawley, PA

By By Peter Becker

Posted Sep. 13, 2012 at 4:16 PM

By By Peter Becker
Posted Sep. 13, 2012 at 4:16 PM

Hawley, Pa.

Managing EditorJuan Espino, an artist from Hawley, is being honored with an exhibit of his paintings during October in the East Wing Rotunda of the Capitol in Harrisburg.?Espino, who has been a popular local artist in the primitive or folk art style, said he was honored by this event. “I’m just a guy who owns a gallery,” he said modestly.?He was invited by State Representative Mike Peifer to feature his art.?The exhibit, he said, will feature 12 or 13 pieces. The centerpiece is a dramatic oil of the State Capitol, 48 by 36 inches. Typically reflecting historical periods, he shows Governor Gifford Pinchot on the Capitol steps when he was governor in the 1930s, with cars of the era.?He entitled the painting, “Get the Farmers Out of the Mud,” for Pinchot’s push for improving Pennsylvania roads.?Other pictures for the exhibit also have to do with Pinchot, including his home in Milford, Grey Towers and other locations. There are also paintings depicting Hawley, Honesdale and Milford, and one showing the Governor’s mansion.?The exhibit will run the entire month of October.?The Dime Bank sponsored the exhibit catalog.The artistEspino, a native of Mexico, has lived in Hawley with his wife Millie since 1988. He established the Looking Glass Art Gallery & Studio at 221 Main Avenue.?Following a 20-year law career, Espino pursued his dream as an artist. His art chronicles local street scenes and the Pennsylvania countryside. Brightly colored, his art is largely two-dimensional and highly detailed with little people, horse carriages or cars, and accentuating historic periods and architecture.?The paintings are flavored with his sense of humor, often with people he knows blended in the crowd. Accompanying his signature in the corner is a little caricature of himself, at an easel painting the scene presented.?In 2010 he was honored with an exhibit at the Musée International d'Art Naif in Magog, Quebec.?“I paint for joy,” Espino said. “It makes me happy.”Bus trip to the receptionThe Wayne County Historical Society is sponsoring a bus trip on October 1 so that Juan’s friends and admirers can attend the opening reception. Espino is a trustee of the historical society and curator of its current Howard Becker exhibit.?The cost of the trip is $35 per person and will include a tour of the Capitol conducted by Rep. Mike Peifer prior to the reception. Payment MUST be received at the time reservations are made.?Reservations can be made in person at the Wayne County Historical Society, 810 Main St., Honesdale, Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. or by phone (253-3240) or e-mail (wchshop@ptd.net) with a credit card.?For those who cannot go on the bus trip, the paintings, including many of the local Wayne and Pike County area, will be on display throughout October.?For more information about the bus trip, contact Gloria McCullough at (570)253-3240 or wchspa@ptd.net.?For more information about Espino’s art and his gallery, visit www.lookingglassartgallery.com or call 226-0782.